3 Reasons You Shouldn’t Buy Sewer Equipment on Craigslist

Whether you are maintaining your personal property or working on a commercial project, setting up and maintaining the sewage and plumbing system probably isn’t a construction aspect you want to rush or handle carelessly. Your property can become a mess, literally, if sewer and plumbing equipment such as pipes, cables, and crawler wheels are faulty or installed incorrectly. Every dollar matters, and everyone is looking to cut costs and save on parts, but you also have to be sure you’re getting plumbing and sewer equipment that works.

Finding used sewer equipment for sale can be a great way to save some money, as long as you go about it the right way. You may be considering Craigslist, one of the most popular resources to buy and sell used goods online for over a decade despite its stripped down and outdated design. While it may be tempting to look for sewer and plumbing equipment on Craigslist, you should reconsider. Here are three reasons why you shouldn’t buy sewer equipment on Craigslist.

Scams are prevalent on Craigslist

In many ways, Craigslist is the wild west marketplace of the internet. It has never been a highly regulated website, leading to an abundance of fake listings, scams, and in some cases criminal activity. There are various warning signs you can look out for when browsing Craigslist postings, such as duplicates of the same ad, unrealistic images on supposedly used items, and spelling errors that most 6 year olds wouldn’t commit.

Craigslist can be a great resource if you are looking for cheap or used non-essential items, but when it comes to your sewers and plumbing, you need to know exactly what you’re buying and in what condition. There is always a certain level of risk when buying used products, especially for construction or maintenance purposes. But the risk reward ratio when it comes to sewer equipment on Craigslist just doesn’t make sense.

There are other, more reliable options

There are plenty of other ways you can find used, affordable sewer equipment without using Craigslist. If you are set on doing your shopping online, e-commerce sites like eBay and Amazon are easier to navigate, more regulated and transparent, and offer both new and used options. These sites are almost certain to cut down your risk of being disappointed with your purchase.

Other online options include newer local shopping apps and sites such as LetGo and Facebook Marketplace.

If you are more interested in doing your shopping in person, conduct your research at retail stores and become familiar with the items you are looking for, especially regarding price points. Once you’ve properly educated yourself, seek out auctions, flea markets, pawn shops or other second-hand in person buying options.

Compatibility and quality should come first

Constructing, repairing, and maintaining sewage and plumbing systems requires research and preparation. Just one defective part, miscalculation, or incompatible piece of equipment can prove to be disastrous. It is imperative that you can rely on the equipment you are using. With this in mind, doing your sewer equipment shopping on Craigslist is not ideal. The pipes, wheels, cables, and everything else making up your sewer system are vital parts of your property. A failure or breakdown in the sewer system can potentially destroy the integrity and value of your property, or even worse, hurt someone. Sinkholes and burst pipes are just a few possible ways that a faulty plumbing part can result in personal injury, and subsequently, a call from a personal injury attorney. Buying sewer equipment on Craigslist may seem like an easy way to save some money in the short term, but it could end up costing you much more down the line.